Project team has allowed the use of flextime where project team members may take time off during regular business hours and make up the time during the evening hours or weekends. Recently, excessive use of flextime has become a roadblock as some team members are not available when needed. How should you handle this situation? Saving Changes...
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RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
This is a common issue in IT industry. Flexitime to be given for those individuals / roles whose interdependency is less.
Good communication among the team and effective planning can further help in reducing non-availability of person(s) when needed Saving Changes...
Ganesh KumarProgram ManagerBangalore., Karnataka, India
Hi Shadav,
A Policy must contain boundaries, do’s and don’t, so that communication and expectations, with some scenarios to explain the context better, so that there is no scope for ambiguity.
You can include the following in your policy/communication. Core working hours during which all the people have to be available, flexi hours before and after the core working hours, maintaining organization stipulated working hours and working days.
To make it simple for e.g.: your core working hours could be 10 to 4 during which all the project members have to be available in person (or on call if the person is working onsite/working from home). There can be flexi time before the core working hours, and after the core working hours – which means they can come late or early and go early or late as long as they are maintaining the 8 hours of work per day. Considering Monday to Friday are the working days. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The point is clearly define what does mean "available when needed". Just to comment, I am working in this type of environments from long time ago including I am working with virtual distributed teams around the globe. This type of environments demands a change on the way of behave and thinking mainly in project managers. Tools like project schedule creation and monitoring must be adapted to this modality. Saving Changes...
Developing a team working agreement can help as well as having a shared team calendar so there is proactive awareness of planned time away.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
I actually have not seen this. To me, this is opening up for potential issues, some of which is motivation for this post. I like Kiron's suggestion of a team agreement. If policy allows this, then socialize with the team what this means and expectations of what is acceptable flex time. Facilitate the open discussion in coming up with the agreement. It is important for the team to understand how their individual actions affect the strength of the whole team. Also, as professionals, the allowance for this should be taken as such - professionally. Saving Changes...
By the way, if we mean PEOPLE let's use the term "people" and not resources. The latter term encourages the perception of fungibility which is not realistic in most contexts.
Flexible schedules are often considered a privilege rather than an entitlement. Unfortunately when people abuse flexible schedules, organizations may decide they are no longer allowed expect under specific pre-approved conditions. I prefer addressing the issues with individuals but when the problem is widespread, organizations need to impose rules. Rules that I've seen imposed when working flexible hours or working virtual include:
- Flexing time must be approved in advance
- When working virtually, a cell phone is required, and prompt response to instant messages and email is expected.
- People need to be available for critical activities rather than the activities planned around everyone's alternate schedules.
I try to plan around others' schedules but it can become very difficult organizing meetings, putting a lot of burden on the PM. I am personally given a lot of freedom in my hours and to maintain that privilege, I work under the premise that if the business is going to be flexible and accommodate my personal schedule, I will ensure that I am responsible with how I use that privilege and will be flexible myself when it fits the business needs. Saving Changes...
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